A good CPA can serve a company like a second-hand guardian angel

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Donna J. Tuttle

Diana Golibart, controller for San Antonio-based NovaTel Ltd., will tell you she has a second-hand guardian angel. Her name is Gayle Havel, and she is the certified public accountant (CPA) for NovaTel -- a San Antonio-based wholesale provider of long-distance services with revenues of more than $100 million. "I am on the phone with her almost every single day," says Golibart.

Havel is a name partner in Brehm, Havel and Co., an Alamo Heights full-service accounting firm, and has been the CPA for NovaTel's founder -- Paul Golibart -- for years. When Paul founded NovaTel in 2000 and brought his sister-in-law -- Diana Golibart -- on as controller, he suggested that she would rely heavily on Havel.

"I didn't really understand how the term guardian angel and CPA could go together until I started working with her," Diana says. "I trust her judgment on everything. Paul is such a quintessential entrepreneur. He is always dreaming up a new angle on the business and entering new markets like Honduras, Guatemala and Pakistan, and Gayle's firm keeps right up with him. They help with setting up new corporations and filing forms with the IRS."

That kind of compatible and trusting rapport is exactly what business owners should be seeking when choosing a CPA firm. "Pick wisely. The relationship with your CPA is very important because they handle confidential and sensitive information," says William Treacy, executive director of the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy (TSBPA).

That's a mighty tall order. Especially given these numbers: The San Antonio CPA Society is the third largest chapter of Texas CPAs with 2,500 members. The pressure to find a CPA that's competent, trustworthy, honest and friendly amid that list is, well, a bit like finding a spouse on Match.com Here are some tips to make the search more manageable from local CPA Havel, TSBPA executive director Treacy and TSBPA presiding officer Melanie Thompson, who is also an assistant professor of business administration at Texas Lutheran University (TLU) in Seguin.

1. Know thyself.

Do you need a CPA strictly for annual tax purposes or do you need multiple services and financial statements? Do those financial statements need to be audited or reviewed? "Firms that practice only tax preparation are very specialized in that field," TSBPA's Treacy says. "If your company needs audited financials, find a firm that does not specialize in tax alone -- but a full-service firm." Public companies generally are required to have financials prepared by a Big Four accounting firm.

2. Seek referrals.

Your colleagues, competitors, lawyers, bankers and even friends and family can give you names of CPAs that they like and trust. You can also do a little Internet browsing at the San Antonio CPA Society by visiting www.sacpasociety.com, where San Antonio CPA firms are listed beside their specialties. Firms on this web site have agreed to a 30-minute non-technical interview at no charge.

3. Don your Sherlock Holmes' hat.

Thompson, who teaches business ethics classes at TLU, suggests investigating your list of potential CPA firms by visiting the TSBPA web site (www.tsbpa.state.tx.us) and searching for the firm's name and the CPA's name. "You can confirm that the individual and the firm are both licensed and whether or not there have been violations," she says. The TSBPA's primary responsibility is to protect the public. The board accepts and investigates complaints and issues disciplinary action.

4. Interview your potential candidates.

Thompson suggests you ask these questions: Who in the firm is going to do your work? Both the client and the CPA benefit by matching the skill required for the job with the right person. "For example, a client would not want to pay the billing rate for a partner in a firm to do work that a para-professional can handle," Thompson says. Ask about billing rates and how the firm handles billings. What can you expect the total bill to be for your particular service? Who in the firm can you contact if your primary CPA is unavailable?

Have a few business questions in hand as a litmus test of the ethical values of your potential CPA. Ask them if they have two or three quick ideas on how to save your company money. "Ideally, you're looking for someone who is honest, yet progressive in tax planning to provide clients with the best tax advice to save tax, yet not lead clients into unsupportable tax positions or abusive tax shelters," Havel says.

Also, firms that prepare audited financial statements are required to have a peer review once every three years. Ask to see it. The peer review "assesses the quality of the financial statement practice and is sometimes known as the 'audit of the auditors," Thompson says.

5. Check your gut.

Hands down, the most important characteristic of your accountant -- aside from competency -- is his or her communication skills. You've got to click with your CPA in a way that makes you feel comfortable to disclose your information -- warts and all -- and ask questions about financial terminology and tax law. "You need to understand your financial statements and tax returns," Havel says. "A firm that takes your information, asks no questions and calls you to say the return is ready may not be communicating well with you."

Indeed, CPAs who are truly involved with their clients spend time in-person or on the phone with their clients all year long. "I want my clients to call and ask questions like: Should I buy or lease my vehicle? Should I pay my spouse a salary? Because I'd rather see it done correctly the first time," Havel says.

6. Are they wired?

Ask your potential firm if they have integrated computers and the Internet into their business. These days, keeping the books isn't about pencil and paper anymore. "With the current state of technology, and the use of software like Remote Accounting Systems, CPAs can help their clients evaluate their profitability, provide tax minimization plans and financial guidance throughout the whole year," Havel says.

At NovaTel, Golibart says she was unsure whether to buy the latest version QuickBooks software year after year because the improvements often don't justify the cost. "I was three versions behind, and Gayle suggested I should look into the QuickBooks Enterprise, and -- sure enough -- it was such a great investment," Diana Golibart says. "So it is the little things like that which make a big difference."

Donna J. Tuttle is a San Antonio-based free-lance writer.

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